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Injured Personnel

Answer

The formal framework for discussions between the two Departments is set out in a concordat, first signed by my predecessor and his Department of Health (DH) counterpart in 2002, and revised in 2005 to include the other UK health authorities, which sets out how the Defence Medical Services (DMS) and the NHS will work together to further their individual and mutual aims of delivering high quality health care to both the UK armed forces and NHS patients.A joint MOD/DH Partnership Board, co-chaired by senior MOD and DH personnel, meets three times a year to monitor the effectiveness of the concordat and to explore mutual areas of co-operation. I am kept informed of the work of the Partnership Board. In 2005, the Partnership Board approved revised health guidance for the NHS covering, among other things, arrangements for the treatment of service personnel in NHS hospitals and the continuing care of service personnel on retirement or discharge from the armed forces.Under the umbrella of the Partnership Board, in accordance with the concordat, numerous other official level discussions, both formal and informal, take place as required at the national and local level, on an ongoing basis to ensure that the health needs of injured service personnel are met across the entire patient pathway (from reception, including airlift from theatre, to rehabilitation and return to active service or discharge).I will place a copy of the concordat in the Library of the House.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

443 c20W;443 c20W; 53659

Session

2005-06

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP 06/493
Monday, 27 February 2006
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Subjects

Armed forces Health services Injuries

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk